Safety pin



April 7, 1953 Q CLARK 2,633,617

SAFETY PIN Filed Sept. 20, 1951 INVENT OR Charles M Clark ATTORNEYPatented Apr. 7, i953 UNITED STATES PATENTTOFFICE Charles Milton Clark,Clearwater, Fla. Application September 20, 1951, Serial No. 247,411

The present invention relates to improvements in safety pins.

- Heretofore the standard type safety pin has been made with a metalguard which receives the point end of the pin. This metal guard of the,

prior art includes a beak portion or nose against which the pointed endof the pin presses when the pin is closed. These metal guards,particularly at the nose or beak portion, are subject to becoming bentand distorted, so that the pin point will often become displaced and thepin point exposed resulting in possible injury to the wearer of thepinned garment;

It is an object of the present invention to provide a plastic pin guard,which will not bend or become distorted, whereby the pin will stayclosed at all times until manually released.

Another object is to provide a pin with a safety guard having a sideguard entrance and exit opening and wherein the pin is resilientlybiased laterally of the guard and in a direction toward the opening, tothereby always keep the point of the pin within the confines of theguard.

Another object is to provide lateral resilient yieldability of the guardon the fixed end of the pin structure by the addition of an auxiliaryspring, thereby facilitating the opening and closing of the pin.

Still another object is to provide a pin guard having a double lockingeffect.

Yet another object is to provide a pin with a safety guard which is moreefficient in use, more durable and economical than the guards of priorpins of this type.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will appearmore fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed descriptionwhich follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein oneembodiment thereof is illustrated. It is to be understood, however, thatthe drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and is not intendedto limit the scope of the invention. To determine the scope of thepresent invention, reference should be had to the appended claim.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters refer to like partsthroughout the several views:

Figure l is an enlarged perspective view of the present invention pin inclosed position.

Figure 2 is a side longitudinal cross section view of the novel pinguard on the section line 2-2 showing the pin structure combinedtherewith in side elevation.

Figure 3 is a side transverse cross section view 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-156) 2of the pin guard showing the pin structure combined therewith in frontelevation.

Figure 4 is abottom plan view of the novel pin guard with a transversecross section view of the pin structure on the section line 44 of Figure1.

Referring in detail to the drawings there is shown a pin combination Acomprising a guard 19, a U-shaped pin structure having a leg I i and aleg i2 and a loop holding base I3. The leg ll of the pin structure isfree at its upper end and is formed with the-usual pin point 14, seeFigure 2, at this free end, while the end i5 of the leg I2 is curved andembedded in the plastic material at one end of the guard l0. Also, theleg i2 intermediate the base l3 and the end 15 is formed into a coiledspring Hi to provide lateral yieldable movement of the guard ill on theleg I2, to thereby aid in the pinning action prior to locking the pin inthe guard and to always bias the pointed end of the leg II to a positionunder the guard.

The guard i3 is a rectangular body closed at the top I! andpreferably'rounded for engagement by a users finger to rock the head orguard ill on leg [2 and is formed with a rectangular opening l8 at thebottom and one side wall 23. The opening is divided by a partition l9inset or countersunk within the body substantially parallel to the sidewall, see Figures 3 and 4. The partition l9 provides for a lateralchannel or side opening 20 defined by the downwardly sloping end wall 2|of partition l9 spaced from the interior face of the end wall 22 of theguard opening l8. This channel 20 serves as a side entrance and exit forthe laterally spring biased pin ointed free end of the leg H of the pinstructure. Thus the partition 19 is within the confines of the top wall[1, the side wall 23 and the end walls of the guard between which thepartition extends, so that the pointed end of the leg H is always biasedinwardly under the top of the guard whether the pin is in actual use ornot. With the pin point unexposed under the top wall the point is neverout of the confines of the guard.

The rectangular opening I8 is bounded by an interior face of side wall23, see Figure 4. The wall 23 is formed with a projection, such as aratchet tooth 24, which slants upward away from the side opening 20 intoan abutment surface at substantially right angles to the side wall 23.This surface serves as a stop to hold the free end ll of the leg llseated and latched inside the guard I0, until manually released bypushing the end I4 toward the partition l9 and thence to- 3 ward thelateral exit channel 20. As shown in Figure 4, the exterior face 25 ofthe partition I9 is countersunk below the edge 28 o! the guard 10 on thesame side with the channel and serves to indicate to the user whichdirection the leg II is to be pushed to release its end 14 from behindthe abutment surface of teeth 24. Also, even after the pin end I4 hasbeen released from the tooth. .24,..it is still necessary to pushoutward laterallyzat ithezchannel 320 to clear'thepin point It from theconfines of the guard'lfl. This feature provides additional safety asthe pin point is always confined Within the guard except when manuallyforced laterally outward from. the exit channel 20. The partition L9drops down enough to be seen below outside wall-23'; When the pin is incloth this willgshow lthefopening 28 where free end l4 enters.

When using the present novel pin and assuming the pin point 14 is freeof the guard In, the pointiis inserted lintoithefoldszof :the fabricfastened. Then tthe index- .finger mayi'be placed upon the roundedexterior-top surface of the guard 1H3 ,andwthe-sthumhusedto manipulate:and' direct the leg lzLandzpinpoint hit/into .therchannel 29 andforward between the partition and adjacent interior faceof ithe sidewallzwithin: the opening; I 3 rover the tooth :24 x and" intoresiliently yieldable. engagement-with the abutment surfaceof the-tooth.

To release :thespin: kt :fromwthegua-rdthe ac tion is. reversedbyslight-1M rocking the plastic guard It on thespring leg st-2' of thepin structureand forcin theleg: il l; toflandrfrom the; channel 2 B soasltoiclear-lthe guard t8:

Thus th re iissproyided: ainoyel guardv tructure Q durablmnQll'rbfin-dalble material 'formedto:nor:- all-y nfine and doublelochthe in point-of a. novel pin r i g nreltoitherebyprovideiforlgreatersafety and 1,1Perioroperation than heretofore, a dn n poi theingzalwat sbiased Witl'nn'lthecon fines of the guard. ad acent. the partition conlW t n he walls; off the-guard for maximum:

ateth prising a hollow rectangular body open at the bottom and sidethereof and having a top wall, one side wall, opposite end walls, and apartition extending longitudinally of the guard from one end.walllinspaced relation to the other end wall in the provision of a slotfor receiving the pointed end' of said biased leg, said partition beingspaced from the side wall and within the confines of the topawall,saidside wall andrsai'd end-walls,v so that said top wall and end wallsextend :laterally of the .guard beyond the exterior face of thepartition, whereby the leg of the loop having the pointed endis biased:to a position under the said top. wall totimaintain the nointediend ofthe loop always under cover of thestopwall.

CHARLEQWLTGN CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 7 573,002 Kelso Dec. 1 5, 1896644L962: Farmer Mar. 6, 1980 1,387,512 Puc Aug. 16, 1921 1343,423 ParkerApr. 18; 1922 2;351 5169; White June 13, 1944 2,55 .1;663 Sneirson- May1', 1951

